Step 6: Acclimating your new betta

Step 7: Last Chapter: Betta Diseases

Every pet has the risk of getting diseases, that includes bettas. Bettas are often exposed to parasitic and bacterial infections throughout their live...

How to Properly Care for a Betta Fish

This instructable will teach you how to properly care for a betta, a beautiful and hardy fish ideal for the beginner. And unlike other ornamental fish-related instructables, this one will actually give you legitimate facts about bettas that will allow your betta to thrive.

Step 1: The Betta Background

Bettas, aka Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta Splendens, originally came from the muddy ponds, streams and rice paddies of Thailand. The original betta splendens had dull coloring and short fins.

The bettas we know today have long flowing fins and come in all sorts of striking colors, due to genetic mutations while breeding. Their long flowing fins is a distinguishing characteristic that is only acquired by the male, female bettas are generally smaller and have short fins. Male betta's aggressiveness is another trait that sets them apart from female bettas. Male bettas are much more aggressive than female bettas, that is why male bettas cannot be kept together where they are in contact with each other. Once in contact, they will instinctively fight to the death, hence the name siamese fighting fish. It is very important that the owner understands to respect this animal's trait, rather than to use it as a form of entertainment.

Bettas don't like current; they come from still water, and their fins have been cultivated since to be so full that strong current can very well just carry them away. If your betta is being so affected by your filter, I don't think it is even a question that it is too strong. Downsize or change it to a kind that can't suck in his fins.

My 5 yo son got a Betta fish as a Christmas gift. It came with the fish, a tank with water pump, plastic plants, gravel and betta food. He named it Fire because of it's red fins. Fire likes to hide under the water pump. Doing this has caused him to lose quite a bit of fin. Fire doesn't seem quite active and only really comes out for food. I believe his whole tank setup is wrong and needs a complete do-over. In doing some research on Bettas, I think I'm going to clean out his tank, add some water conditioner, buy some silk plants and some medicine for his fins. I would hate for Fire to die as he was a gift for my son. I would appreciate any positive advice. Thanks!

Plastic plants are never a good idea lol. May want to ditch the filter as well. How big is his tank? Filter less is cheaper and usually easier on these fish. My wife does a 2/3 water change once a week and on alternating weeks does a full water change and cleans his accessories. His water stays crystal clear and he seems to be a very healthy fish!

I'm going to get you some more feedback, but some from myself would be to check the levels in the water; ph, ammonia, nitrateYou can get a masters test kit and it will have the appropriate tests!What is the temperature of the water? And remove the plastic plants and buy silk plants (can be bought at a local petstore) to avoid the fish from getting harmed from the plants! Is there a bright object in the tank, opposite side from where he hides, that may be scaring him? And what size is your tank?(If you need to, feel free to message me on Facebook) hope all goes well with the little baby <3

They are tropical fish, so they are happier when they're warmer, but I've found it depends a lot on how they're raised. A lot of them are raised at room temperature and are therefore used to it, but I've had a few (from a breeder I don't normally deal with) that were raised in a heated tank, and they really needed heaters. One was a beautiful peacock blue crown tail, and if the tank dropped two degrees he'd turn bleach white!

I'm interested in getting one or more Betta fish. Now is it true that you can have multiple females in one tank without them killing each other? Also, I've seen bettas being kept in flower vases - is that even good for them? I'm also having the problem that I can't fit a two gallon tank anywhere at my place (too small and crowded), but a gallon or better half gallon would fit. Now I know that ideally, the tank should be 2gal, but do you think that a single Betta would do fine in a half gallon tank with say a small plant in it?

I apparently didn't read your full post before responding :P Do not keep more than one betta in less than a 5 gallon tank. You're just asking for trouble if you do.

A single betta might do ok in a half gallon if absolutely necessary, but I'd never house them long term in less than a gallon. A half gallon is barely big enough for a full grown male to stretch his fins!

I never had luck with less than 5 females in a tank. I found it worked better if they were all added at once, so they all had an equal chance at claiming hidey holes and sorting out the pecking order. If I wanted to add new fish, I had to take them all out, rearrange the tank, and put them all in at once again. If I tried just adding a fish to the existing tank, she'd get picked on and sometimes killed. I only ever had one fish that was so agressive I had to put her in her own tank, though. I had a 10 gallon tank with 5-12 females in it at any given time for about 3 years.

If you do start a sorority tank, try to find a local-ish breeder (most will ship overnight if you're close enough), don't go to the pet store. Usually breeders are trying to breed show fish and will gladly give you a good price for the fish that aren't show-worthy, and you know those fish have been well taken care of, there's no telling what you're getting from a pet store.

If you decide to have 2 females together when you are putting the other female in have an extra tank/cup beside you in case they start fighting. If they do start fighting take out one and put it in the tank/cup. If they don't then they will be fine.

Yes, females usually can be kept together however it isn't rare for one female to be aggressive and unable to be housed with another female. I find that vases are very cruel and they do not have enough space to thrive, as well as not having a heater which is essential for a healthy betta. They can survive but they will be very lethargic and in bad shape over time. They can be housed temporarily in vases but they can not live permanently in one especially not when the whether gets colder. I would say anything less than 2.5 gallons for a single betta is cruel and a half gallon tank is even more so. It'd most likely become incredibly bored and depressed. It's like you living in a closet for your entire life. If you don't have space for a big enough tank then I wouldn't buy a betta because it's unfair to them.

Bettafix is melafix, just more diluted. It's cheaper to buy melafix and just use less. If you follow the instructions on the melafix bottle, though, it will kill the fish. I think I used about a quarter of the recommended dose, maybe a bit more if that wasn't working after a few days. I'd research it, though, it's been years since I've had to use it. I found the instructions on a betta blog.

Who ever said that Bettas need to be kept in smaller tanks. This is so not true! I had bought a blue half moon betta in a 1.5 gallon tank he looked miserable! He wouldn't come to eat he would always hide and he loved the flirter as well. My partner wanted to et a bigger tank and some fish. We decided to et a 30 gallon with a red tail shark 5 tetras, 5 zebra danios, and 2 femal Bettas. They all love each other and the betta loves the new tank. I had them all over a year now. People mistaken these fish and day they need a small tank and no water filtration. That's all bull! They need room to swim just like all the other fish do!

Bettas do not do well in large tanks.Ideally 1.5 gallon- 5 gallon is all you need. They actually prefer smaller spaces. Their origin is tiny rice patties and most people don't understand their need for smaller spaces. In some cases, putting in large than 5 gallon tank could cause it much distress. You can easily do well with live plants as filters. If you only have 1 small fish. Bettas put out much less waste than most fits. Large filters are unnecessary and even harmful in some cases.

Very nicely organized points! And few things though just to make sure every Betta is a happy one :)A Betta needs a minimum of a 5 gallon tank!Make sure the temp is set at 75-80 degrees (have a thermometer!)Do not feed freeze dried as it is bad for your Betta :( Do water tests to check the nitrate, ammonia, ph, etc levelsAnd just highlighting a fact on this page, make sure plants and materials are silk and will not have a chance to scratch your fish.And jointing a Betta fish group on a social media sight like Facebook is a good idea, because any questions you have can be answered immediately and if you know how to help someone else, there is a good place as well!Enjoy your little babies <3

I was never really sure of the proper burial type for a fish, I always wondered what the fish would want. I feel like burying them in the ground isn't what they woild want. Lol. I always flushed them. Lol

I just got my betta fish and it isnt really eating i put food i got from the store designed for him and he eats it and spits it out then somtimes eats it again im really worried because he is my first fish and hes really pretty and can somone please tell me what to do so he will eat

Help! My betta keeps hanging at the bottom & then going to the top to get air. I have cleaned his tank properly & until today he was fine. He has gotten almost gray from being a deep red. How can I help him?

First, consider checking the aquariums temperature as well as PH as these can be affecting him. Mine died to day, exhibiting the same symptoms as you described. Be very watchful of him, look at his face and see if there are white holes on it, swollen eyes, torn fins and swollen bladder too, if so, it will be extremely difficult to save him. Chances are, he has a type of Velvet decease or a bacteria. Go to a pet store and ask for extra information, and if it turns out it is a bacteria, don't get your hopes up, these are very difficult to treat in fishes.